Auxiliary spring.



W. 0. BROWN. AUXILIARY SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcn.

WALLAGE CHARLES BROWN, OF TORONTO ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUXILIARY SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 4, 1908. Serial No,'436,600.

Patented- June 22, 1909 To allwhom it"may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLAcE CHARLES springs which will permit of the independent action of the main vehicle springs under normal conditions, and which under abnormal conditions will maintain the equilibrium of the main vehicle springs by furnishing a yielding resistance to the movement of the vehicle parts, particularly when such nTove-r ment results from a shock caused by the impact of the ground wheels with an obstacle in the path over which the vehicle is passing,

The invention may be said to consist of two oscillatory members each comprising an engaging part and an arm part extending from the engaging part, the contacting faces of the engaging parts being provided with substantially frictionless expanding members haying su'l'licient clearance between them to permit of a limited oscillatory movement before coming into position to expand the engaging parts against the clamping springs which press the engaging parts together, the tlexion of the clamping springs being varied by a flexion regulating means which consist of a centering bolt passing centrally through the engaging parts and the clamping springs and one or more regulating nuts mounted on the centering bolt to bear against the outer face or faces of the clamping springs to press them tightly into contact with the outer faces of the engaging members and resist the outward pressure exerted against the clamping springs when the expanding members are engaged.

1n carrying the invention into practice the arms of the oscillatory inembcrs aro preferably connected to the axle and to the vehicle body or main vehicle springs and relatively positioned by means of an adjustable connection adjustci'l to the approximate load intended to be carried by the vehicle so that the expanding members can instantly e);- pand the engaging members against the clamping springs when the movement of the vehicle bodyis more than normal, the oscillating movement of the expanding members in their engaged condition increasing the pressure of the chin'iping springs against the reguengaging members and the arms, and consequently the movement of the vehicle body to prevent the full force of the shockbeing' transmittedto the main vehicle springs.

For an. understanding of the. invention reference is to be had to the 'followin 'dee scription and to the accompanying (raw ings in Which: J y A Figure 1, is a perspective view of the device showing the parts in theirinert posi-' tion. Fig. 2., is a similar view to Fig. 1, with the engaging parts in a retardingpos tion.

lating means, so that the, ressure of the clamping springs will retard t e actionof the I Fig. 3, 1s a pers ective view of the engaging parts separate to show the formation of their cont-actingfaces. Fig. 4, is asection on the line (1,a Fig. 1, and Fig. 5, is a section on the line b-b Fig.2. i

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The twoengaging part-s 1, and 2 are each, preferably, of an annular shape, and on the contacting face of the enga ing .part 1 are two expanding members 4 ocated diametrically opposite one another with unoccupied spaces 5 between them, and on the contacting face of the engaging part 2 are expanding members 6, similarly positioned, with unoccupied spaces 7 between them. When the engaging parts 1 and 2' are assembled and the parts are inert the'eXpandi-ng members 6 are contained in the spaces 5and theexpanding members 4 are contained 1n. the spaces 7.

Extending rad ally from the engaging members i and 2'are arms 8 and 9 each of the arms being, formed with a pin hole 9 by which the arms can be connected to the parts of the vehicle.

Centrally located on the outer faces of the engaging parts are clamping springs 10 and 1 and centrally formed through the clamping springs and engaging parts are bolt apertures 12 for the centering bolt 13. The centering bolt 13 is formed atone end with a bolt head 14 and at the other end with screw threads 15 to engage with the'screw threads 16 in the bore of the regulating nut 17 when titted on the bolt.

When the parts are assembled the engaging part 1 contacts the engaging part 2 and the clamping springs 10 and. 11 bear against the outer faces of the cngagingparts with the bolt passing through them to hold them together.

I To facilitate the turning mot-ion of the en gaging parts of the bolt 13 the inner face of the bolt head 14 is formed with an annular channel 17 in which are contained antifriction balls 18 and interposed between the antifriction balls 18 and the adjacent surface of the clamping spring 10 is a washer 19, to hold the balls in the annular channel 17 and provide a ball race for them.

The regulating nut 17 is partly split by a saw cut 20' extending into the nut at sub stantially right angles to the axis of its bore and wedging the sides of the saw cut apart is a wedge 21 which when forced into the nut separates the sides of the saw cut and causes thenut to bind against the screw threads of the bolt so that the regulating nut will be locked in its adjusted position. By tightening the regulating nut on the bolt the clamp ing springs increase, and by loosening it on the bolt they decrease, their pressure on the engaging parts. I

The arms 8 and 9 are preferably connected respectively to the axle and to the vehicle body, frame, or top leaf of the main vehicle spring and when the vehicle is subjected to a shock the motion of the vehicle body and spring yield under the influence of the impact causing the shock, the yielding motion being retarded by the expanding members of the engaging )arts riding on one another, the retardation ot the shock increasing with the distance the expanding members travel. To facilitate the movement of the expanding members during the oscillation of the engaging parts the former are inclined gradually inward from the end toward the middle so that the movement of one expanding member riding on the other will be of a gradual character.

The arm 8 is provided with a pin 8 which engages in a clip 8' to surround the axle.

The arm 9 is provided with a pin 9 upon which is rockably mounted the bifurcated head 9 of the screw threaded bolt 9. Adjustably mounted on the screw threaded part of the bolt 9 are two sets of adjusting nuts 9 d and 9 by which the arm 9 can be positioned relatively to the arm 8 with regard,

to the approximate load the vehicle is intended to carry. The arm 9 can be accurately ad usted to the arm 8 when the vehicle is loaded by adjusting the nuts 9 d and 9 l so as to hold the expanding members 6 relatively to the expanding members 4 to pro- 1 vide' a clearance which will permit of a limited oscillation on the part of the expanding members before they come into engagement with one another during the I downward movement of the vehicle body. The initial movement of the vehicle body resulting from the shock is in a downward direction and is partly absorbed by the main vehicle springs prior toithe engagement of the expanding members with one another. If the main vehicle springs are not of suflicient strength to resist the force of the shock the expanding members come into activity and by riding on one ano thcr force the clamping springs against the bolt head and regulating nut thus increasing the pressure of the clamping springs so that they will retard the movement of the 'engaging parts and arms during the downward motion of the vehicle body and effect the restoration ofthe main vehicle springs to their equilibrium. If the force of ihe'shock is not expended by the retardation offered by.

the clamping springs during the downward movement of the vehicle body and the latter moves forcibly upward with the rebound, the

expanding members again come into engagement with one another when the body of the vehicle has passed its normal position so that the clamping springs can exert the same retardation on the rebound.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j The hereinbefore described device comprising two engaging parts, means whereby the engaging parts may be connected to the vehicle, expanding members for the contacting face of each engaging part wit-l1 unoccupied spaces between them and of greater dimensions than the expanding members,- the 

